2000 Years Ahead

TranceMag staff editor Florin written a review of 2000 Years Ahead album, revealing hidden meaning of the tracks titles.

If you’ve ever been to an interview, you know sometimes employers ask questions about your future, like where you would see yourself in 5 years to a decade. Daniel Lesden doesn’t mess around with these short time frames, opting to think on an altogether grander scale.

A year’s worth of studio work has now culminated with the release of his future-focused second studio album, 2000 Years Ahead. This tremendous sci-fi inspired 9 track long player draws a timeline for a human race which is at peak technological development, highlighting the possible hidden dangers associated with it.

But enough introductory text, let’s dive right in, starting with:

The End Of The Aquarius Age

Open up the album and you’re confronted with its first track, The End Of The Aquarius Age. In astrological terms, each zodiac sign has a so called astrological age assigned to it. We are currently in the age of Aquarius, which is associated with technological development, transhumanism and giving more power to the individual. It is therefore no mere coincidence that Daniel selected the following quote from the movie Automata as the center piece of this ominous ambient creation.

The movie explores a future in which robots have taken over, and the struggles of mankind to stop the AI from altering itself. This first production from the LP has a slew of tech sounds infused into it, to further solidify its connection with the film. Antonio Banderas’ (who plays Jacq Vaucan) words fade, signalling the beginning of a menacing crescendo, which wraps things up nicely.

Pangea Proxima

As we shift focus from the skies to the ground, Pangea Proxima zooms into view. The original Pangea (from the Ancient Greek words pan – whole and gaia – land) was a supercontinent which formed 335 million years ago. Taking into account the geological cycles, Pangea Proxima (also called Pangea Ultima) is a possible future supercontinent which may form in the next 250 million years.

The namesake track brings proceedings into more familiar territory, with Daniel’s signature brand of Psy shining through from the get go. Heavy baselines and gated sounds lay the groundwork for the heavily acidized rest of this opus. It’s a demonstration of the masterful control and quality of sound design we’ve come to expect from Daniel.

The Dream Of Electric Sheep

Continuing on the path we set out at the beginning of the post, we get to The Dream Of Electric Sheep, and its subtle reference to humanity’s robotic counterparts. Clues for this are present at beginning (another quote from Automata, “Identify yourself” / “B-2206. Sorry, the city is not safe for any of us.”) as well as in the short breakdown. The Blade Runner quote “It’s a test designed to provoke emotional response” is particularly adept at emphasizing the relative rigidity of the AI in terms of ability to empathize.

Contrast is underlined not only via quotes, but changes in pacing, especially on the baseline front, switching from a full on to a triplet pattern in key parts of the track.

The pedal to the metal approach of The Dream of Electric Sheep accelerates our eventual arrival to a frightening future event.

Technological Singularity

Further down the list is a track which you should know from the production announcement video released about 10 months ago. Technological Singularity highlights a more melodic side of Psy Trance’s overall sound, drawing its inspiration from a future event often called simply “the singularity”. In basic terms, it is the idea that artificial intelligence may enter a cycle of rapid self-improvement, evolving into a kind of artificial superintelligence and leaving humanity in the dust.

Like the issue itself, the production is way more nuanced than it would appear at first glance, employing some lovely modulated acid lines throughout. The build-up is a particular highlight, with its almost Goa-like organic progression. Wonderful stuff.

Arrival

A familiar name greets us at number 5, Arrival, the teaser single which was released in December last year by the same lovely folks at Digital Om Productions.

Taking the issue of ETs arriving on Earth as its main theme, Arrival opens up with a breaks-like layering, only for Daniel Lesden’s beloved blend of Progressive and Psy to replace it shortly after.

With massive energy throughout and an addictive arrangement overall, this is not only my favourite of the 9 productions, but it can serve as an example of what the modern Psy Trance sound should be.

Not only was the subject interesting, but the execution was top notch, as usual. It’s a fantastic package all in all, which comes from an artist whose familiarity with the Psychedelic sound allows him to craft some exquisite tracks. No wonder the album reached #1 CD on Psyshop, it bloody well deserved to.

Structured Chaos

Sitting at number 6 is yet another fantastic Psy Trancer which you were able to hear in the album completion announcement video prior to the promo-blitz preceding the release.

In comparison to the others, the Progressive side stands out a little more and the overall vibe is heavier. Once again, the bubbling acids and the build-up are of particular note here, due to the sheer attention to detail and masterful execution.

Sacred Space (with AudioFire)

Following in the footsteps of the wonderful Prog Psy number above, we find a collaboration with London-based producer AudioFire.

A balance is struck between the two producers’ sounds, yielding a delightfully energetic, and ever changing piece, which is much lighter in overall vibe than its predecessors. It’d dare say that near the end you could almost mistake it for an Astral Projection track. It really is that good.

Machinery

After a subject as ethereal as the sacred space, Daniel plonks down a mammoth base driven Psychedelic slab called Machinery. Employing plenty of gated sounds and delicious modulated acids, track number 8 also sports one of the most distinctive secondary acid lines of the entire bunch. I’ll only say it’s near the middle, but you’ll definitely recognize it instantly. Terrific stuff.

Middle Mode & Relativ – Divination (Daniel Lesden Remix)

Closing proceedings is Daniel’s take on the 2014 Middle Mode & Relativ collab entitled Divination. Despite using a similar approach to the original in the construction of his rework, Lesden manages to flip the entire atmosphere of the track on its head. What’s more, the end result is a much lighter, more dynamic interpretation than the source material, while still incorporating the quotes from Porcupine Tree’s Voyage 34 Phase IV.

Conclusion

The follow-up to Chronicles of The Universe (Daniel’s first album) shines as both a worthy standalone opus and as a part of the overall story arch. After his exploration of the universe, it made sense for Daniel Lesden to pick mankind’s technological end goal as the main subject for a second album.

Not only was the subject interesting, but the execution was top notch, as usual. Though I personally lean more towards Technological Singularity, Arrival, Structured Chaos and Machinery as the highlights of this LP, there’s no denying the others are equally worthy of your attention. It’s a fantastic package all in all, which comes from an artist whose familiarity with the Psychedelic sound allows him to craft some exquisite tracks. No wonder the album reached #1 CD on Psyshop, it bloody well deserved to.

Today, my second studio album is released. It’s the result of my work throughout the whole last year and an important milestone in my music career. I don’t want to pat myself on the back, so I’ll just put here what John 00 Fleming said about it:

A really sterling amazing album, well done. You have just slammed an injection of something fresh and unique with musical moments, I love it and I’ll 100% support this!

During the last two weeks, I shared all tracks previews one by one and I hope you enjoy it. Below are all nine previews all together, and a magic button:

Special thanks to: Nishan for professional management; to Marc for the excellent track we’ve made together; to Drasko, Jovan and Ivan for the opportunity to remixing your track; to Bart for the top-notch mastering; to Ryche for the vivid artwork. You guys rock!

I’ve recorded the album showcase mix for Digital Om Productions label series at RadiOzora. The mix includes seven brand new tracks from my album as well as some of my favorite tracks by other producers — Ben Fraser, Artificials, and Braniac. Enjoy!

Come closer my friends, make yourself comfortable and grab a cup of tea as I’m going to answer these questions and share some thoughts behind the creation of the album.

Why album

In this fast-paced world, singles and EPs are the most common releases format. Well, no surprise: consisting of only one or two tracks, artists can make several such releases per yer and keep the buzz going. I’ve released a couple of singles this year too.

Albums, on the other hand, are counter-productive on that matter: they take much more time and efforts to make, both physically and mentally. But I guess I’m an old-fashioned guy because albums are very special to me, it’s like an exam, a milestone that showcases artist’s progress.

My debut album titled “Chronicles Of The Universe” was released in 2014, two years later after the very first release. It’s a musical story dedicated to our Solar System with each track representing a planet, and this album summed up my current taste and skills at the time.

So around October 2015, having numerous releases after the first album, I thought it’s time to make a new album.

The first step is always the hardest

In the new album, I wanted to create more tech-driven, robotic, and futuristic feeling. Being always fascinated by science fiction, I came to my favorite novels, films, and concept arts in searching for inspiration:

Some inspiration for the album

So I started to work on the first track which later will be called “The Dream Of Electric Sheep”. Here is how one of the first drafts was sound like:

It was shit. Seriously, it has a poor sound design, lack of drive, and not satisfied quality. Perhaps, for someone it would be okay, but I didn’t wish to agree on just “okay”. I replaced the main lead, but still it wasn’t good enough:

It was so disappointing so I was about to abandon this idea entirely. I realized that I wasn’t ready yet — I wanted to make something fresh whilst my current skills held me back. But then something interesting happened.

The unexpected side of help

Now we have to go back in time for the three months before I started working on the album. On August 2015, I launched the advice section where I answer the questions people send me.

Turned out, the advice blog that suppose to help other people, helped a lot to me too.

Every time I answer a question, it forces me to dig deeper, to learn something new. Because knowing things is not the same as understand things and being able to clearly explain it to the others. To my own surprise, throughout the past year I’ve learned a lot of new things about sound design, mixdown, and other aspects of production simply by helping other people. How cool is that?

Going back to “The Dream Of Electric Sheep”, here is how it sounds now:

Back on track

At some point I just opened all my drafts, played it back, and realized that some of the tracks I’ve made were too cheesy. To give an example, here is another track from the new album, it called “Machinery”:

Digital Om Productions is delighted to present Arrival, a teasing single taken from Daniel Lesden’s forthcoming album. With twisted psychedelic leads and intense groove, this jaw-dropping track gives a clear message of the album taste. Get ready to teleport 2000 Years Ahead.

Half year ago I announced my second album production. And today, I’m totally delighted to say that the album is complete!

It’s a full-length album with eight previously unreleased brand new tracks and one remix. The album will be released on my home label, Digital Om Productions, in early 2017 — in few months from now. And just in few weeks I’ll start sharing the album’s title, cover artworks, and course audio previews.

Being an introvert person I hate doing public appearances, but for this occasion I’ve recorded a video announcement with short teaser:

TranceMag is a leading Trance music site who shares the latest reviews, interviews, and hosts TranceMag Sessions every Sunday. After making the guest mix, Daniel Lesden has been invited to chat with TranceMag stuff writer Florin about his background, second album, expectations, and opinion on the Psytrance scene.

We most certainly have! Thank you :-) Let’s start off with a little introduction for our readers. When did you get interested in electronic music, PsyTrance in particular?
Formally speaking, my music career began five years ago with the debut release on Ovnimoon Records, but my love and passion for electronic music has started long before that — around the age of 11.

Could you tell us more about your early musical background? How did it all start for you as a producer, and what were some of your influences?
Since childhood, I knew for sure I wanted to connect my life with music, and to encourage my initiative, mom bought me a Yamaha keyboard. The best present I could ever dream about! The same year (1999) I got my first ever PC, and that was a starting point of my experiments with music. In fact, I have written about my first music production experience — an article in two parts with all the behind the scenes details and even samples of my earliest music (spoiler alert: it sounds terrible, you’d better not listen to this).

As for influences, well, you have to realize that a 13-year old kid had very limited access to music at the end of 99—early 00’s. I desperately tried to find any piece of electronic music, so overall my musical taste was very broad: from Prodigy’s Breakbeat and Scooter’s Happy Hardcore, to Nitzhonot of Cyan, Goa Trance of Astral Projection, ‘Classic’ Trance of M.I.K.E. Push, and even some really crazy 180-BPM Trancecore stuff, like Beyonder and Rebellion. But I get used to calling all these diverse genres by one simple word — Rave.

I get used to calling all these diverse genres by one simple word — Rave.

What was the first track you heard that you instantly fell in love with? What about the first record you bought?
Speaking of Psytrance music, Astral Projection’s “Mahadeva”, Yahel’s “Last Man in the Universe” and Man With No Name’s “Floor-Essence” were definitely some of these tracks.

Taking a look at your productions from last year, one is treated to an outstanding line-up. However, Enuma Elish seemed to steal the show, due to it being widely supported by both well-known Trance artists and listeners, catapulting you into the limelight. What’s the story behind the track title and production? Could you share your experience while making it?
I’m glad you like Enuma Elish, and thanks for asking because there was an interesting story, indeed. I received a personal request from John 00 Fleming to make a “138-140 BPM driving monster”, the kind of real Trance he’s been hungry for. And that was perfect timing as I felt the same.

You know, all those modern dancefloor tricks like build-up and drops that we hear in today’s Psytrance music are fine, but sometimes I feel that ‘Psytrance’ misses the ‘Trance’ component. I wanted to make a straightforward track with a hypnotic vibe, a track that awakens emotions, even if it’s considered as old-school today. So, inspired by the old 00.db tracks, as well as by many of my personal all-time favorite Progressive and even Goa Trance tracks, “Enuma Elish” was born.

And just to tease you a little bit, “Enuma Elish” is gonna be remixed by a UK artist.

I wanted to make a straightforward track with a hypnotic vibe, a track that awakens emotions, even if it’s considered as old-school today.

Your work has appeared on some of the world’s best Trance labels (specifically those more underground Trance oriented) like JOOF Recordings, Pharmacy Music and Digital Om Productions. How important, do you think, is their support for a young and talented artist like yourself? How hard is to maintain the consistency and authenticity of your sound?
JOOF Recordings, Pharmacy Music, and Digital Om Productions are some of the best labels in underground music with a huge cult of followers. But what’s most important is the people behind label names: they are truly passionate about what they do, real professionals. Their support means a lot. And it is an honour for me to work and learn from them.

It is nice to have a unique signature sound of course, but when an artist uses the same sounds over, and over and over again with no any development, to me it’s more like laziness rather than “signature sound”. That’s why, from time to time, I go out of the comfort zone to make something totally different, and “Surreal”, released earlier this year, is a testament to this.

You are one of the most versatile producers nowadays, managing to successfully balance Progressive and Psy, integrating a lot of melodies, and pushing your sound in an exciting direction. What is most important to you when making music? What message do you want to spread with your sound?
I think the most important thing is to stay true to yourself, regardless of trends. It may sound selfish, but first of all, I make music to express myself musically. If you try to please everyone, you won’t please anyone. And I am very grateful to all the people that follow me throughout this journey.

If you try to please everyone, you won’t please anyone.

From what you announced recently, we learned you are working on your 2nd artist album. Could you share some details about it? What inspired the album and what sound dominates throughout?
I am a huge fan of cosmic exploration and science fiction. Pretty much every track I’ve made so far was inspired by one of these themes, and the album I am working on at the moment is no exception. The album is still in the making, but I would say it gets a more full-on-ish type of sound, more aggressive, more “high-tech” if I may call it this way.

Does the album have a name yet? Also, will it be released on JOOF, like your previous one, Chronicles Of The Universe?
It has a couple of working titles, but the final name is yet to be decided. As for the label, I’d keep it in secret for now. Let it be a surprise!

You have mentioned a few collaborations and a remix will be featured on the album. Could you tell us with whom you have worked? What were you looking for when it came to picking the producer (or producers) to collab with?
AudioFire is an amazing producer I have worked with, perhaps you’ve seen my recent announcement about it. The remix was done for some folks from Serbia, producers I admire a lot. I’m afraid, that’s all I can say for now.

When picking a producer to collab with, I look for similarity and otherness at the same time. Both of us have to like each other’s music in the first place, that is for sure, but at the same time, we have to use a slightly different approach. What’s the point, otherwise? Same as in a dispute, I believe the best solutions are born from the collision of different opinions.

I believe that a track has to have some storyline behind it, some plot that would open up the listener’s imagination.

Is there one track on the album that perfectly describes your style and sound you want to present to the listeners?
I think the album production teaser I’ve shared recently sums up the overall album vibe perfectly. If you enjoy that teaser, I guess you should love the whole album, too.

What is the most important thing for you in a track? Do the listeners have to search for a deeper meaning?
I believe that a track has to have some storyline behind it, some plot that would open up the listener’s imagination. Someday, I want to make music while also accompanying it with a short film and written a story, so people can experience my vision as a whole. So yes, listeners certainly can find some deeper meaning in my music.

What are your expectations from the album in general? What message do you want to send?
I had expectations before, and it didn’t end up well. Expectations are no more than guessing of the outcome, and the outcome is something that you cannot control. What you can control, however, is your own actions. So rather than set high expectations for something that may or may not happen, set yourself a habit of doing your work well, do it on a regular basis, and on the best possible level you can. And this is exactly what I’m doing with music now — just doing my best.

Expectations are no more than guessing of the outcome, and the outcome is something that you cannot control. What you can control, however, is your own actions.

What is your opinion on the current Psy-Trance scene and the modern sound that people are attracted to?
We can certainly see a growing interest for Psytrance music these days, some Psytrance acts are now playing at the world’s largest festivals along with commercial Trance and House DJs in the lineup — something that wasn’t possible just several years ago. And I like it, because a growing audience opens up more possibilities to the scene. As you probably know, I grew up in Moscow, and what I remember is that many good party promoters gave up on organising Psytrance parties simply because there were not enough attendees to cover the costs for a venue rent, good equipment, artist fees etc.

I believe that since Psytrance has gone mainstream, more people will demand smaller underground parties as well, which would give a second breath to the clubs, party promoters, and artists. Commercial and underground music are two sides of the same coin, like light and darkness, they exist only because of each other.

What do you think needs to change about the scene? Any producers out there at the moment that you are really enjoying?
I like the fact that entry threshold for electronic music in general becomes easier, and more people can afford making music. More people in the scene means more ideas, more talents yet to be discovered. And this is great.

However, the professional side of music has many more questions than answers available. As a result, we see a lot of low-quality tracks flooding music stores, or up-and-coming artists who have no idea how record labels work. And I’m trying to change it by making knowledge more accessible and widespread. That’s the reason why in August 2015 I launched the “Advice” series, where every Wednesday I answer the questions people send me. Together we make the music scene better, and I’m very grateful for the massive feedback I receive from the music community, fellow DJs, and producers.

As for producers I really enjoying — oh yes, so many good artists around. Just listen to my radio show!

We see a lot of low-quality tracks flooding music stores and up-and-coming artists who have no idea how record labels work. And I’m willing to change it.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years, in terms of your music?
As I said above, I don’t want to fall into the trap of expectations, so hopefully I’ll just continue to follow my journey.

Let’s bring it a little closer to current events. This year marks the 5th anniversary of your monthly show, Rave Podcast, so congratulations! How does it feel to have reached this milestone?
Thanks! Frankly, it was unexpected. I was like, “okay let’s see what we have for the February edition… hold on, is it February 2016 now? I’ve launched the very first episode in February 2011, so this must be the five year anniversary, jeez!”. Time flies! I’m really amazed how many people became regular listeners of Rave Podcast throughout these years, and I really appreciate each and every one.

Staying on the subject of the podcast, what is the concept behind it? Following that, how do you choose your guests?
At first, I started the podcast just to share the music I love, and the basic concept was to show different music genres — hence the name, “Rave Podcast”. But Rave Podcast is more than just a show, reflecting my ever changing musical taste.

By the end of 2011, I had changed the concept to not stick only to Psytrance as the main genre, but also showcase artists from all over the world. At the moment, artists from 27 countries have made their guest mixes for Rave Podcast. Just imagine how big and diverse the Psytrance scene is!

Having a radio show with a loyal following is also a huge responsibility because at some point it affects people’s taste. When choosing a guest, I’m trying to showcase a very broad spectrum of musical beauty: from deep Progressive to uptempo Fullon, from mellow to harder sound, from up-and-coming producers to the world’s largest names. It’s a fine balance, and it looks like we’re doing well so far.

We’re curious, outside of DJing / Producing, what else do you do with your time? Besides the album, what else can we look forward to from you? Any confirmed gigs?
These days, artists have to do much more than just music, so when I’m not making music or DJing, I do everything else: business negotiations, work with the audience, marketing plans, website, blog, social media, dealing with the press, just to name a few. Speaking of personal time, I love running to keep my body healthy and mind clear.

Before the album, you’ll hear a remixes EP of my tracks, including my own 2016 mix for one of my older productions. This one is gonna be really interesting.

As for gigs, I have a lot of requests from both promoters and party people in USA, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Finland, Japan, Brazil and India, just to name a few, but none is confirmed so far. Maybe it’s for the best as I’m trying to use this time wisely to finish the album. Studio work and active travel are two things that can’t be be easily combined.

Is there a track in history you wish you would’ve written, or have been there to witness it being made?
No, I don’t think so :-)

Silly question, but do you have a pet? If not, what would your ideal pet be (you can even go with an imaginary one, if it’s more interesting)?
I don’t have a pet for now. I believe that a pet (whatever it may be) is not just a toy, it’s a living creature that needs attention no less than a person, and spending extra time is something I can’t afford at the moment. But if I had a pet, I think it would be a cat — I just can’t resist their cuteness!

Any last words for our readers and your fans?
I would like to thank all my fans, colleagues and the people I work with for their support and experience. I sincerely appreciate it. And thank you for the nice interview, TranceMag! Can’t wait to see you all on the dancefloors around the globe!

I’m delighted to announce that I currently working on a collaboration with a very talented producer and great guy, AudioFire. Our track sounds really nice and banging so far, and I look forward to share more details about it with you guys! It’s going to be a part of my forthcoming album.

Last year AudioFire made a huge impact at first on Rave Podcast guest mix competition, and later with his debut EP on Digital Om Productions. And how he is back with another stunning release titled “Chemicals”, make sure to check it out.